Always searching for the best conditions, ‘The Windsurf Project’ have been on the road again, this time destination Portugal and its wild west coast. Chasing an XXL swell and north winds were project stalwarts, Thomas Traversa and cameraman Jamie Hancock. John Carter got the last minute call to join them and gives us the lowdown on the mission.
THE GAME
We all know windsurfing can be a fickle sport to predict, especially when lining up big wave spots and all the ingredients needed to sail those locations. Sometimes when your first choice doesn’t happen then it is always reassuring to know there are other options to fall back on that still promise epic sailing. In this case the world’s most notorious big wave spot, Nazaré was our main target but we all knew if it didn’t happen there were plenty of other juicy offerings within an hour’s drive down the Portuguese coast.
LAST MINUTE
For me this whole adventure came about when Jamie Hancock from ‘The Windsurf Project’ called me up one late January evening with a rough plan to head to Portugal with Thomas Traversa to sail Nazaré and some other spots around Lisbon. The mere mention of Nazaré was enough for me to drop all commitments, pack my bags and head to the ferry to be ready for a 6 a.m. flight from Heathrow the following morning. Out of all the places in the world, Nazaré for me has been right at the top of my ‘bucket list’ for several years now and I was super keen to go and check it out. Throw in Traversa, one of the few guys who has the balls to sail it, and for me this trip was a no-brainer. Personally I was not one hundred per cent sure about the forecast, but I was not going to take any chances on missing out if it did possibly happen. Fortunately, The Windsurf Project has partnered with Bridgestone to help fund some of these crazy last minute missions and enable the crew to capture these perfect days with boats, jet skis and all the necessary shooting platforms.
DAY 1 … LISBON!
Denne historien er fra Issue 384 - April 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 384 - April 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New School
Slingshot’s windsurfing brand manager, Wyatt Miller, has noticed that kids are drawn to playing with wings and puts forward an interesting case as to why he thinks this could help entice them and others into windsurfing.
Changes
Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.
THE LAST WAVE
Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.
STILL IN THE GAME
After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!
MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT
This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.
SOUTH' KIPA
Nik tweaking it over home waters.
A NEW NORMAL
On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.
‘NO VAPOUR TRAILS TO SCAR THE SKY' *
Realising we may be about to enter an extraordinary period in our lives, Harty decided to keep a windsurf-centric lockdown diary. Here are some of his choice excerpts.
REDEMPTION DAY!
Renowned for its windsurfing and variety of spots to sail at, Kimmerdige Bay is a wave sailing jewel on the south coast of England. Timo Mullen gives a guide to its shores while reflecting on why a recent session there was a reminder that there is no place like home!
